Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-18573

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 13 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what explicit, quantified commitments, targets or plans it has to (a) provide access to (i) green and (ii) blue spaces, (b) set minimum time limits for populations to access green spaces from home, (c) improve areas of outstanding scenic quality and enhance landscape features and (d) create green hubs to support mental health through access to green and blue spaces, and what arrangements it has committed to with the UK Government to provide a joint UK access service to promote and support access to the environment.

Access to green and blue spaces in Scotland is underpinned by the rights of responsible access to land and inland water enshrined in Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 . From a marine perspective, as part of our Blue Economy Vision for Scotland , by 2045 our ambition is for thriving, resilient, regenerated, healthy communities to have more equal access to the benefits that ocean resources provide.

National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) was approved by the Scottish Parliament and adopted by the Scottish Ministers in February 2023. Through a number of policies, it sets out the long-term spatial strategy for Scotland.

National Planning Policy 20: Blue and Green Infrastructure , National Planning Policy 15: Local Living and 20 Minute Neighbourhoods , and Open Space Strategies , support access to green and blue spaces. This is reflected in two National Performance Framework indicators: Visits to the Outdoors , reporting the proportion of adults making one or more visits to the outdoors per week; and Access to Green and Blue Space , reporting the proportion of adults who live within a 5 minute walk of their local green or blue space.

National Planning Policy 4: Natural Places , National Planning Policy 7: Historic Assets and Places , and National Planning Policy 8: Green Belts , support protection of areas of outstanding scenic quality and enhancement of landscape features. Both the Historic Environment Scotland Green Recovery Statement and the recently refreshed strategy for the historic environment in Scotland, Our Past Our Future , highlight the heritage sector’s ambitions for sustainability and accessibility in our historic landscapes through regeneration and responsible land management.

Building on the success of the piloting of Green Health Partnerships (GHPs) through NatureScot’s Our Natural Health Service partnership, the Scottish Government is working with the NHS and other partners to expand the use of nature based solutions in health practice, including increasing the use of green and blue spaces to deliver mental health outcomes. This includes an action within the NHS Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy to establish and embed GHPs and similar approaches.

Access matters are devolved and the Scottish Government has no liaison with the UK Government in relation to these.

Question reference: S6W-18571

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 9 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17413 by Mairi Gougeon on 9 May 2023, what the level of underspend referred to was in (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23; how many hectares of peatland were restored with grant support in each of those years; what the average cost per hectare to restore peatland is estimated to be, in the light of experience from the peatland restoration scheme, and what any factors identified as preventing targets from being achieved are.

As per our delivery partners’ published accounts ( Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park - Annual Report & Accounts , Cairngorms National Park Authority Annual Reports and Accounts , Forestry and Land Scotland Annual reports and accounts , NatureScot Annual Reports and Accounts , Scottish Water Annual Reports ), the level of underspend for the years 2020-21, 2021-22 was around £12 million and £7.4 million respectively. Final capital and resource spend figures for 2022-23 have still to be confirmed and will be available in due course.

Figures for restoration in 2020-21 and 2021-22 can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202200314966/ . For 2022-23 our current estimate is 7,468 ha, however we are awaiting final validation of these figures

Based on provisional financial outturn figures, in 2022-23 the average cost of restoration was around £2,326 per ha. However, as an average, this number tells us very little. There is significant variation in the actual cost to restore peatland depending on site specific factors like the size and location of the site, level of degradation and required work to remedy, and accessibility.

The factors preventing targets from being achieved are physical limitations imposed by weather, access and ecological constraints and gaps in contractor availability and skill shortages. We have identified these in light of our experience of delivering restoration schemes and are putting in place mitigating actions to help resolve these constraints.

Question reference: S6W-18121

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the current (a) proposals and (b) timescales for the provision of a replacement (i) hospital, (ii) dental clinic and (iii) GP unit on the Isle of Barra, and whether it will propose scheduling a ministerial statement in order to provide a detailed update to the Parliament on these matters.

The Scottish Government remain committed to delivery of quality health and care facilities on Barra. However, the Scottish Government's ability to fund capital projects has been affected by a reduction in the amount of capital grant from the UK Government over the next two years, and unprecedented levels of inflation as a result of Covid, Brexit, uncertainty in the supply chain and the war in Ukraine.

The Outline Business Case for the provision of new health facilities at the Barra Health and Social Care Hub has been submitted, however detailed design work of the proposals has been unable to start due to the budgetary pressures across the capital investment programme.

Scottish Government officials will engage with NHS Western Isles and the Scottish Futures Trust to consider the timing of the construction and will work closely with partners to identify alternative options.

Question reference: S6W-18120

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much the Barra and Vatersay Community Campus project has cost to date, and what future funding provision it has made for its delivery.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on how much the Barra and Vatersay Community Campus project has cost to date - this information is held by Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar.

Initial design and development costs have been incurred on the school and community element of the project, which is being delivered through the Learning Estate Investment Programme.

These upfront project costs have been paid by the local authority and will form part of the total project costs, up to 50% of which will be funded by the Scottish Government through the Learning Estate Investment Programme’s outcome based funding model mechanism.

Question reference: S6W-18122

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which elements of the Barra and Vatersay Community Campus project it now plans to deliver through the contract with hub North Scotland, and within what timescale.

Question reference: S6T-01426

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported demonstrations in South Uist due to ferry withdrawal.

Question reference: S6W-18124

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 5 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17405 by Shona Robison on 5 May 2023, whether it plans to change the financing arrangements for Scottish Water, currently through customer charges and Scottish Government borrowing, in order to permit (a) private investment via an equity stake being taken in Scottish Water, or any of the Scottish Water group of companies, or in any specific capital investment they may be undertaking and (b) Scottish Water, or any of the Scottish Water group of companies, to borrow private finance beyond, or to replace, its Scottish Government borrowing, either for specific capital investments or to fund capital investment in general.

Question reference: S6W-18135

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 2 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to Forestry and Land Scotland to enable car parking charges to be avoided, in order to allow free access to outdoor spaces.

Although through The Land Reform (Scotland) Act, access is free to most outdoor spaces and the use of public and active transport is encouraged, The Scottish Government appreciates that many of our rural outdoor spaces can only be easily accessed by motorised vehicles.

The Scottish Government is in close discussion with Forestry and Land Scotland to see what further mitigations can be put in place to ensure the correct balance between free access to Scotland's national forests and land both during the current economic climate and beyond and the need to sustainably manage our forests and encourage responsible vehicle use and active transport, mitigate safety and environmental impacts at popular sites and support the net zero challenge.

Blue Badge holders can park for free and money-saving annual passes are available.

Question reference: S6W-18134

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 2 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is in relation to reports that Forestry and Land Scotland is extending parking charges to more forests throughout Scotland.

The Scottish Government is aware of the planned roll out of car park charges at a number of additional Forestry and Land Scotland recreation car parks as part of the agency’s sustainable forest and visitor management strategy. Equality mitigations already planned include keeping tariffs low, money-saving annual parking passes and free parking for Blue Badge holders. However, the Scottish Government is in discussion with Forestry and Land Scotland to see what further mitigations can be put in place to further reduce the impact on families at this time.

Question reference: S6W-18136

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 1 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether access to local outdoor spaces, such as forests, should be free of charge.

The rights of responsible non-motorised access to land established through Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 mean that access to local outdoor spaces, such as forests, should normally be free of charge.

There is a very limited range of circumstances where charges for access can be applied, for example where specific byelaws have been introduced. However, land managers may raise revenue through service provision such as car parking and toilets.